Manuel Gamma was born in Zürich, Switzerland in 1972. He studied philosophy, journalism, psychology, and German literature. After breaking off his studies, he worked as a social education worker in various homes for teenagers with behavioral difficulties. From 2002 to 2005, he was a video trainer for Szenario, an institution for unemployed teenagers. He then worked as an editor and producer for the program Glanz & Gloria on Swiss radio and television.